Orange You Glad To See Me?

That’s right…I used the punchline from one of the worst jokes in history for this one, but it seems strangely apt. One thing I’ve learned birding south Texas this spring is that birds are extremely fond of oranges, including birds you just wouldn’t expect to be into citrus (like the Swainson’s Thrush above). My “birds eating oranges” list (one of my oldest and most sacred lists) has increased exponentially since I’ve been here. Not only do many of the resident specialties go crazy for citrus (i.e. Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Altamira Oriole) but a ton of neotropical migrants go for it too. So without further delay, here is just a sample from South Padre Island, Texas.

Prothonotory Warbler. With it’s so-yellow-its-orange color on it’s head and breast, this bird looks right at home next to an orange.

Red-headed Woodpecker. This vagrant that stuck around for a while probably ate nothing but oranges for a whole week, since there is pretty much no habitat fit for a Red-headed Woodpecker anywhere nearby. Oranges save lives.

Scarlet Tanager. Tanagers are known orange addicts.

Summer Tanager. A female poses with her favorite fruit.

Gray Catbird. Normally a suspicous and scolding bird of thickets, catbirds become a bird of close proximity and courage when confronted with a fresh orange.

The Great Ornithologist Felonious Jive is indisputably the world’s greatest birder. As a child, Felonious was involved in a tragic accident that left him blind and crippled. Miraculously, he began regaining his faculties while parked at a window that faced his family’s bird feeder. Following his full recovery, he continued his pursuit of birds past his family’s yard and out across the globe. Now, his identification skills are unmatched by anyone living, dead, or unborn. Although considered a living deity in the birding community, his avian abilities have made him critical of his comparatively inexperienced peers. This has won him no popularity contests, although he remains much sought-after by birdwatchers of the opposite sex. His close colleague Seagull Steve writes of his exploits at Bourbon, Bastards and Birds.